Sign Up for Our Heart Health Newsletter

Thanks for signing up!

For centuries, aspirin has been used to relieve everything from fever to arthritis. And since the 1970s, researchers have also been touting the painkiller's merits for fighting heart disease. A daily aspirin can reduce the risk of both a first and recurrent heart attack, and it can also lower your risk of heart disease — if you're a man. For women, however, aspirin's impact isn't as dramatic. Therefore, it's very important that women speak with their doctors before starting a daily aspirin regimen on their own.

This "proceed-with-caution" attitude is based on the fact that while aspirin can prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks, it does have potentially serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding. Because of this, aspirin therapy is only recommended (especially for women) if its benefits clearly outweigh the risks.

"In very healthy women over age 45, aspirin does not reduce the risk for a first heart attack, but it reduces the risk of a first stroke that is caused by a blood clot," says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, the medical director of New York University's Women's Heart Program. "Aspirin does reduce the risk of a first heart attack in women over the age of 65. So, if you fall into this category, you should consider discussing aspirin therapy with your doctor."

Is Aspirin Therapy for You?
Before determining whether to prescribe aspirin, your doctor will look at your entire health history and also assess your heart attack risk. Those at high risk include:

Smokers

People with high blood pressure (over 140/90 mm Hg)

People with high cholesterol, which is defined as total cholesterol over 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol over 130 mg/dL

People with diabetes

People whose lifestyle includes a lack of exercise, high stress, and (for women) drinking one or more alcoholic beverages daily

People with a family history of heart disease

If you're a woman and fit the definition of someone who's possibly at high risk for a heart attack, you may be a candidate for aspirin therapy. Doctors say that women who are older than 65 should consider aspirin therapy if their blood pressure is controlled and the risk of heart disease outweighs the risk of aspirin's side effects.

On the other hand, there's no evidence that aspirin prevents heart attacks in women younger than 65. So, regular use of aspirin in healthy women under 65 is not advised. It can be very beneficial, though. According to the 2005 Women's Health Study, which is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), women treated with aspirin saw a 17 percent reduction in stroke risk before 65 and a 24 percent reduction in heart attack risk after 65.

What to Expect if You Take Aspirin
Don't just start popping aspirin on your own. Your physician will first need to determine the right aspirin regimen for you based on your own situation, Dr. Goldberg says. Some people need a daily aspirin, while others might need it every other day. Also, dosing will differ from individual to individual. Some only take a baby or low-dose aspirin (81 mg), while others need as much as 325 mg per day, the amount that's in a regular adult aspirin.

In addition, some people are ineligible for aspirin therapy. This may include individuals who have a bleeding or clotting disorder, asthma, an allergy to aspirin, and a history of stomach ulcers, or who suffer from heart failure.

Aspirin During Heart Attack
Aspirin can also improve your chances of surviving a heart attack. If you suspect that you (or a loved one) are having a heart attack, the first thing to do is call 911. Then Goldberg recommends you take an uncoated regular-dose aspirin tablet. If you suspect a stroke, however, never take or give aspirin.

"If someone is actively having a stroke, we do not give them aspirin until we do a CAT scan because we want to make sure that the stroke is not caused by bleeding," she says. "Although aspirin can reduce the risk for strokes that are caused by blood clots, it can worsen a stroke that is caused by bleeding."

The bottom line is that aspirin therapy can be beneficial for some women, but not all. So, before you plunge in on your own, Goldberg says "you need to have an in-depth discussion with your doctor about whether or not you are a good candidate for aspirin therapy."

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.